Mail-bag closure.



No. 643,035. Patented Feb. 6, I900.

. W. BENNETT.

MAIL BAG-CLOSURE.

[Application filed June 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

vweu for UNITED STATES PATENT QEEIc "WILLIAM BENNETT, OF CORINTH, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-.HALF TO C. II. BARRETT, OF SHARON, VERMONT.

MAIL-BAG SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 643,035, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed June 15, 1899.

To all whom it may concern;

I Be it known that I, WILLIAM BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Corinth, in the county of Orange and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Closures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in bag-closures primarily designed foruse in connection with mailbags, but applicable also as a closure for other types of bags employed for analogous purposes; and the object of the invention is to provide a fastening which is simple and effective in construction and capable of being readily and conveniently operated in opening and closing the mouth of the bag and of preventing the entrance of snow, ice, dirt, and othersubstances between the locking members thereof.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of the 'upper portion of a mail-bag embodying my invention, showing the mouth of the bag held closed and the pivoted keeper in open position. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view showing the mouth of the bag closed and the keeper locked to shield and prevent turning of the turn-buttons. Fig. 3 is an inner perspective view of the pivoted keeper.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, A represents the body of a mail-bag of any ordinary or preferred construction, the top of which is provided with the usual flap B, which forms a continuation of the rear side 0 of the bag and folds over upon the front side D thereof to close the mouth of the bag. Upon the outer face of this flap is arranged a wear, stiffening, or reinforcing plate E, riveted or otherwise permanently secured thereto and provided with Serial No. 720,634. (No model.)

a series of oblong parallel. slots e, arranged with their longest axes in a vertical line or transversely of the plate and longitudinally of the bag and in coincidence with similar slots or openings 6 formed in said flap.

The front side D of the bag is provided adjacent to its upper end with a series of openings f, equal in number to the said slots or openings in the flap and reinforcing-plate and disposed so as to register therewith when the flap is closed, and these openings are located opposite turn-buttons 9, having solid heads corresponding in shape to the several series of slots or openings in the front wall, flap, and reinforcing-plate and adapted to be passed therethrough to hold said parts connected and the mouth of the bag closed. The shanks of these buttons are journaled in suitable bearing-plates permanently secured to the inner face of the rear side of the bag, so that the buttons may be partially rotated to bring their heads to occupy a position in line with or at a right angle to the slots or openings. By this construction it will be seen that in order to close the month of the bag it is simply necessary to turn the buttons to bring their heads into longitudinal alinement with the slots or openings, press the front side of the bag inward and fold the flap forward and downward to cause the heads of the buttons to project exteriorly through the slots, and then turn the buttons to bringtheir heads at right angles or transversely to the slots, when they will bear against the reinforcing-plate and hold the upper ends of the sides of the bag and folding flap closed. This permits of a temporary closing of the bag to prevent the contents thereof from falling out before the bag is sealed or locked for transportation and also permits of the upper ends of the sides of the bag coming closely together or in intimate contact to prevent the contents from working outward and interfering with the operation of the turn-buttons and other parts of the fastening. The bag may be readily and conveniently opened by turning the buttons back to their original positions in longitudinal alinement with the slots, throwing back the flap, and drawing the front side of the bag outwardly, as will be readily understood.

The buttons are adapted to be held against rotation by a keeper H, hinged to or pivotally mounted upon rings or eyes 1], passed through the'upper side edge thereof and upper edge of the reinforcing-plate, saidrkeeper being longitudinally grooved or ribbed upon its inner side to form recesses or channels q to receive the heads of the turn-buttons g, whereby when the keeper is closed down to lock the bag the slots in the reinforcing-plate and the buttons will be concealed and protected from injury and the entrance of snow, ice, dirt, and other foreign substances between said parts prevented. The lower portion or free side edge of the keeper may be secured bya fastening of any preferred kind. In the present instance I have shown the reinforcing-plate E provided with acentral longitudinal slot 75 and the free edge of the keeper with a similar slot k for passage of a staple or eye Z, secured to the'front side D of the bag, to which staple or eye an ordinary padlock m may be connected to hold the keeper closed.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is In a closure for mail-bags and the like, the combination of a bag having a folding flap provided with a series of slots and similar slots in its front side adjacentlto the mouth thereof, said slotsbeing arranged with their longest axes in a vertical line or transversely of the flap and longitudinally of the bag, turn-buttons on the rear side of the bag adapted to be passed through said slots and turned at right angles thereto to hold the flap and upper end of the front side of the bag closed, a keeper hinged or pivoted at one side to the flap and provided upon its inner side with one or more longitudinal channels to receive the turn -buttons, whereby said turnbuttons and slots will be inclosed and shielded, and means for securing the free side of the keeper to the fiap, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM BENNETT. [11. s]

\Vitnesse's:

E. L. STILL, S. A. TRUE. 

